This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/334,893 filed Oct. 31, 2001, the complete disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to decorative exterior wall coverings, and in particular, to injection molded siding panels having improved integrally formed attachment elements to facilitate easier installation and functional elements to improve the aesthetics and performance of the panels.
Many types of exterior wall panels are currently known and used in the construction and improvement of residual, commercial, industrial and other buildings. Typically, such panels are formed from a lightweight composite plastic material and are manufactured using conventional extrusion molding, injection molding, impression molding or thermoforming processes. Such panels may be formed in various shapes, such as individual elongated sections similar to standard aluminum siding or single panels incorporating one or more rows of individual decorative elements. Individual panels are often connected to other previously installed, identical panels through a vertical attachment and a horizontal attachment by which portions of the panel to be installed overlap portions of previously installed panels.
Some prior known panel designs employ vertical side and horizontal bottom connections that must be viewed and fitted simultaneously by the installer during installation. A problem with these designs is that the installation of such panels is difficult because the installer can only view one connection at a time. Often the installer would attempt to circumvent this problem by first connecting only the vertical side or the horizontal bottom, only to discover that the remaining connection either cannot be attached, or will cause the initial connection to slip out of place.
In addition, many prior known panel designs have both side and bottom connections that require precise fit. Installation of these panels requiring precise connections may be difficult for several reasons. For example, an entire row of connections may have to be attached along the vertical side or horizontal bottom of a panel, necessitating frequent checking and adjusting as the panel is maneuvered into its installed position. Also, this problem may be exacerbated by the need for such panels to overlap in order to conceal their attachment points. Accordingly, the connections may be hidden from the installer as they are attached during installation. The installer may be forced to either position his head in an awkward viewing position near the wall surface when fitting the panel into position, or even to blindly “feel” the panel into position with his hands by fitting each connection without actually viewing the connections as they are attached. In addition, this difficulty can be exacerbated if vertical side and horizontal bottom connections have to be viewed simultaneously when attached as described above.
Further, some prior panels have employed fastener attachments located on the rear of the panels that have no logical relation to reference elements on the front side of the panel. For example, one prior design comprises a series of tabs spaced at intervals on the rear side of the panels that do not correspond to the arrangement of any elements or reference points on the front side. This problem hampers installation because, as described above, those elements are hidden from the installer during installation and the installer cannot, by simply looking at the front of the panel, identify the locations of the attachment elements on the rear of the panel.
Prior known panel designs have also employed connections that lock firmly into place upon attachment. The problem with such a connection is that they are rigid, and cannot accommodate the inevitable movement associated with thermal expansion or the settling of the underlying wall surface after the panels are installed.
Finally, many prior panel designs have been difficult to cut, trim, or otherwise adjust to fit into tight areas along the wall surface, such as within the gable of a roofline or the area surrounding windows and other surface irregularities. Some existing panels may only be cut in certain structurally designated locations without comprising their overall structural integrity. Other panels are made of materials that are difficult to cut, occasionally requiring certain types of saws and saw blades.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wall panel that is easy to install. It is a further object of the invention that the panel have sound connections, but will readily allow for the expansion and contraction of the panels without compromising the integrity of the connections or adversely affecting the panels. It is also an object of the invention that the panels may be readily installed by a single installer. Another object of the invention is to provide a panel having features to assist in installing the panels around tight areas such as around a window frame. These and other objects of the invention have been accomplished with a decorative wall panels set forth and described below.